This power point presentation includes few words with their explanation and examples, that are frequently confused.

1. WORDS FREQUENTLY
CONFUSED
PREPARED BY
PREETH.KBS,
GGHSS, ELAMPILLAI,
SALEM.

2. MEANING -
Both words can be used to refer to any bodily
discomfort that one may feel. Of the two, 'pain' is the
more general term. The pain that you feel in some part of
your body may be intense or it maybe mild; similiarly, its
duration could be long or short. If you hit your thumb
with your hammer the pain could last for a few seconds,
or for several days. Usually, 'pain' suggests something
comes on suddenly. When you bump into the wall, you
feel 'pain' and not 'ache'. The pain that you feel could be
local - over a small area - or it could be widespread.

3. 'Ache', on the other hand, is usually
associated with a particular part of the body;
we often talk of a toothache, headache and
stomachache. When we get any of these
aches, they usually last for sometime, but the
discomfort we experience is not as intense as
'pain'. Some dictionaries define 'ache' as 'dull
pain'

4. MEANING -
A 'chronic' problem is one that stays
or lingers for a long time. An 'acute' problem is
one that is intense, but is usually temporary.
EXAMPLES:
1. There is a chronic shortage of housing in Mubai.
2. Maya has a chronic knee problem.
3. Last year, there was an acute power shortage in
Chennai.
4. The pain becomes acute on the days it rains.

5. MEANING -
Two buildings that ' adjoin' each other are
not only next to each other, but they touch each other.
Two buildings that are ' adjacent' need not
necessarily be touching each other; they are side-by-
side, but are not necessarily connected or joined to
each other.
EXAMPLES:
1. The theatres, Shanthi 70mm and Shanthi 35mm, adjoin each
other
2. The library is adjacent to the hotel. A small lane
runs between the two.

6. MEANING -
A 'smell' can be pleasant or unpleasant.
'Aroma', on the other hand, is usually
associated with something pleasant and stimulating -
like the smell of food, spices or flowers.
EXAMPLES:
1. The students complained about the smell of Vineeth's dirty socks.
2. Mythily loves the smell of rain.
3. The aroma of freshly baked pizza made Ananya
hungry.

7. MEANING -
The 'errata' or 'corrigenda' are usually
appended to a book - one usually finds this page at the
back. The page or pages usually contain the list of errors in
the book along with their corrections. One of the two
words, 'errata', meaning 'be in error', is the more
common. The singular of 'corrigenda' is 'corrigendum';
while that of 'errata' is 'erratum'. In latin, 'corrigendum'
means 'that which is to be corrected'.
EXAMPLES:
1. Believe it or not, the corrigenda/errata
contained several mistakes.

8. MEANING -
In terms of meaning, there is no difference
between the two words. Both can be used to mean 'previous'.
'Erstwhile' is the formal of the two; it is considered to be old
fashioned. Some books on English usage claim that 'erstwhile'
is a 'pretentious' word for 'former' and is best avoided.
EXAMPLES:
1. I met our erstwhile/former Registrar at a party last
week.

9. MEANING -
When you say the story created was 'fictitous',
you are implying that it was not real; it was something
invented or made up by you. It was a piece of fiction.
'Factitious' means 'unnatural' or 'artificial'. A
'factitious' demand for something is an artificial demand for
a product. Traders often create this deman in the hope that
the price ooof the product will soar.
EXAMPLES:
1. Sharma's account of the accident was fictitious.
2. Uma gave a factitious smile of welcome to the guests.

10. MEANING -
Anything that is 'portable' can be easily
carried or moved from one place to another. Laptops are
portable so are MP3 players.
When you refer to something as being
'handy', you are saying that it is useful and it is easy to
use. A handy object need not necessarily be portable. It
maybe big or small.
EXAMPLES:
1. I wonder why most companies have stopped making
poratable TVs
2. You should get one of these gadgets. It is a handy
thing to have.

11. MEANING -
A 'sachet' is a sealed plastic bag that
usually contains a small amount of something -
sugar, salt, shampoo, etc.
When you say ' sashay' into a room, you
walk into it in a manner that draws the attention of
everyone.
EXAMPLES:
1. John always keeps a sachet of sugar in his pocket.
2. People gaped as Latha and Hamsa sashayed down
the stairs.

12. MEANING -
A 'voracious' reader is someone who loves to
read; the individual is very eager or hungry for knowledge.
The word can be used to refer to one's appetite as well. An
individual with a 'voracious' appetite has a good appetite; he
eats large quantities of food.
'Veracious' is generally used in formal contexts to
mean 'honest'. A veracious individual is someone who is
habitually truthful.
EXAMPLES:
1. Mohan is a voracious reader of mystery novels.
2. Karthik looks skinny, but he has a voracious appetite.
3. The veracious Vice Chancellor had a voracious appetite for
vanilla ice-cream

13. Ref : 'The Hindu'